Waste management planning in Pittsburgh
Waste managemnt planning is an organizational tool that makes it possible to identify the types and quantities of waste produced and managed in a given territory, the existing outlets and those to be developed in order to achieve set objectives. In Pittsburgh, waste prevention and management plans must be drawn up by each Regional Council. In connection with the observation procedures, planning contributes to a regional dynamic of the circular economy.
Control of waste management
To ensure the application of the regulations in the field, different waste management control methods are deployed and make it possible to verify that the regulations are correctly implemented and, if necessary, to penalize them. Many actors are involved depending on the type of control:
- classified facilities that produce or process waste are regularly checked by environmental inspectors, who verify compliance with their requirements. They are also controlled by private bodies authorized by the State of Pennsylvania as part of the periodic control,
- the transport activities are also controlled by the agents responsible for the control of road transport,
- cross-border shipments of waste are controlled by the customs services,
- the mayor’s police force is empowered to carry out checks on municipal territory, outside classified facilities, as part of the mayor’s mission to ensure public health in his municipality (e.g. search for the perpetrators of an illegal dump of waste) . These checks are described in the guide to administrative sanctions and criminal reports for the use of municipalities.
Since 2013, the state has set up an interministerial unit to combat illegal sites and associated trafficking. Priorities are defined each year by the governor for the actions of the inspection of classified installations. They can be “punch” operations, that is to say, reinforced controls during a given period on a given topic, or continuous operations.
Controls relating to environmental damage are framed by the circular of 2015 relating to guidelines for criminal policy in matters of environmental damage and which makes it possible to coordinate the action of the various players:
- officers empowered to record violations of environmental law (environmental inspector, police officers, etc.),
- prosecutors responsible for coordinating the judicial police activities of specialized administrations and investigative services, Central Office for the Fight against Attacks on Public Health and the Environment, a national judicial police service which aims to take an interest in all disputes arising from harm to the environment and to public health.
Local companies like Pittsburgh Dumpster Rentals HQ are asked to provide bin rental services to the community so that households and businesses can easily discard unneeded items and waste without worrying to bring it to the landfill.
Good waste management practices is the responsability of every resident in Pennsylvania. It starts by avoiding creating unnecessary waste, not buying products that will create a lot of waste, recycling every item if possible, and being environmentally responsible. Do not be selfish, think about the pollution and carbon emission you are contributing as a person or business. Use a dumpster rental service occasionally when you want to do a big clean out so that the waste is professionally and cleanly handled for you.